Don Brash is backing an election rival of Auckland deputy mayor Penny Hulse, claiming her leadership has taken the city in the wrong direction.

The former National and Act leader is launching the election campaign of David Rankin, who's standing for one of the two Waitakere ward seats of Auckland Council.

Dr Brash says he supports Mr Rankin's policies of scrapping building regulations and planning rules like the rural urban boundary.

He says under Penny Hulse's leadership, rules like the rural urban boundary have pushed up the cost of land and led to unnecessary intensification.

"With house prices way over the top, one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, Penny Hulse has to carry a significant amount of the responsibility for that."

More than a decade after his controversial Orewa speech, Dr Brash believes Mr Rankin will be the man to bridge "iwi" and "kiwi" in Auckland.

He says he supports Mr Rankin's policies of fast-tracking new road and motorway projects, and halting work on the City Rail Link and cycleways.

But he's equally keen on the outspoken Ngapuhi personality's proposal to change the role of the Independent Maori Statutory Board, which has seats on some council committees but is not elected.

"I've got to know him over the past twelve months. His basic integrity I highly respect. His policy platform is also one with which I strongly identify."

One of the board's members, former Labour MP and Waipareira Trust chief executive John Tamihere, is also supporting Mr Rankin's election campaign.

Meanwhile, Mr Rankin believes the Waitakere Ward seat will be a battleground in the upcoming election.

“For too long, the area has played poor cousin to other parts of Auckland and we are in desperate need of catch-up."

He says he wants to deal with issues like "the refusal of council to zone land in our area for employment, the unbelievably slow rate of widening the north-western motorway, a shortage of housing land, and red-tape obstructing home renovations.”

Mr Rankin claims Waitakere locals are frustrated with "a multi-billion dollar rail loop that we won’t see any benefit from" and "planned road tolls which will penalise us for where we live".

The Waitakere Ward

Waitakere Ward has a population of around 150,000, making it larger than both Tauranga and Dunedin.

It has two seats on the 21 seat council, and has nine people standing for those two positions.

Peter Chan, independent
Linda Cooper, independent, current councillor
Rochelle Gormley, independent
Penny Hulse, independent, current councillor and deputy mayor
Greg Presland, Labour
David Rankin, independent
John Riddell, independent
Ken Turner, WestWards
JB Woolston, United Future